Eggcorn: *flea market* > *flee market*

[Damien Hall]

Notwithstanding the easy spelling error 'flea' > 'flee', it seems to me that
'flea market' > 'flee market' is at least a potential eggcorn;  not as
obviously one as many others, but couldn't people have thought that the insect
was called a <flee> because it fled (jumped away) if disturbed?  This
explanation could potentially account for many mis-spellings of 'flea' as
<flee>, obviously, not just this particular phrase.  But, granted, this isn't
indisputably an eggcorn.  Maybe I'm reaching here.

Damien Hall
University of Pennsylvania

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org